Head over to Gauche and mix in with a big crowd of humanitarians

Also: Opinion pieces by anonymous authors is a bad idea; and local elections survey

If you’re an early riser, there’s still time on this Saturday morning to make your way down to Gauche Aquatic Park where the “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” starts out.

Oddly, in our opinion, for as terrible a disease as Alzheimer’s is, this annual gathering is one of the best “feel good” events of the year. There are always several hundred people involved. The crowd will include people with Alzheimer’s, people helping victims deal with Alzheimer’s, people who have friends and family members with the disease, many who have lost loved ones to the disease, and a whole bunch of do-gooders who want to be supportive.

In the run-up to the actual walk, there will be a program where a bit of reflection is requested. And then it’s sort of a celebration of so many people pitching in to cure the disease and support the victims and families. There is music, balloons, cheerleaders ... camaraderie. All that makes it feel good ... but it’s mostly the realization you’re one of a community.

Registration opens at 8 a.m., the walking starts at 9:30 a.m.

(Top 10 teams as of late Friday morning: The Purple Posse; Just Call Me Helen; Summerfield’s Serenity Walkers; Walk Wizards; Moe’s Memory Keepers; Marysville Kiwanis Club; Cherry Blossom; Team Warnock; Violet’s Visionaries; Memory Minions. There’s a bunch more ... help them out.)

* Thumbs Down: It’s impossible to absolutely say we’d never print an anonymous opinion piece. But pretty much, no, we won’t do that.

In the past 30-plus years, I’ve printed one anonymous letter to the editor. It was written by a victim of domestic abuse – she not only wanted to avoid public scrutiny but feared the possibility of retaliation.

The anonymously written column in the New York Times – the one simultaneously criticizing President Trump for his amorality and how patriotic staffers are actively manipulating him and situations to avoid catastrophe (does that make anyone feel safer, by the way?) – was a bad idea (and that judgment has nothing to do with whether you love, like, tolerate or hate Trump or suspect the writer offers valid or erroneous information).

The anonymity just adds confusion, anger, angst and irritation to the situation. It’s gutless at a time when, if you’re to believe the writer, heroism is called for. And it soils the credibility of the newspaper and industry. Now that the anonymous critic has been published, the search for him/her is on. When asked, “was it you,” he/she will either answer “no” – in which case he or she will be a liar – or “yes” – in which case you’ve got too question his or her judgment.

Anonymous sources in news stories? We try never to use them, but will make exceptions in very important cases. Or we’ll take the anonymous information and try very hard to confirm it with an on-the-record source.

That’s how the Times should have handled this. As a story tip to be used in the reporting process. In the end, readers digest the news and react as they see fit.

As an opinion piece, the paper elevates the information and allows the anonymous author to make an argument. It doesn’t seem right to us. We wouldn’t do it. Steve Miller is Editor of the Appealdemocrat

* Thumbs Up: The Appeal invites local citizens to participate in an informal online elections survey. A few general election questions are posed, and then participants are asked to suggest questions for candidates in local contested races. Questions from the survey will be considered as the Appeal and Chamber of Commerce conduct a series of election forums later this month and in early October.

Participate by going online to: https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/18generals. Or simply go to our website at appealdemocrat.com, click into the story at the top of the home page entitled, “Survey: Questions for Candidates,” and then click into the survey. It will be open another week or so.

* Ugh. Anonymous joke tellers? We are OK with that.

Where did Noah keep his honey? In his archives.

Do twins ever realize that one of them was unplanned?

What if my dog brings back the ball only because she thinks I really enjoy throwing it?

One more: If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous?